How to Write Dialogue Master List of Dialogue Punctuation Tips

How to Write Dialogue Master List of Dialogue Punctuation Tips How to Write Dialogue: Master List of Dialogue Punctuation Tips Learning how to write dialogue can be tough for some without the right guidance.But unless you plan on writing a textbook, you must learn how to properly write dialoguesThe one thing most writers get wrong when they’re first starting out is proper dialogue format.Sure, you could leave that up to the editor, but the more work for your editor, the more expensive they’ll be.Plus, it’s important that, as serious writers and future authors, you know how to punctuate dialogue no matter what.That also means editors will be able to focus on more complex edits instead of just punctuation.Dialogue punctuation is complex and takes some time to learn, understand, and master.Here are some dialogue examples of each and how you would punctuate them.Writing Dialogue Example 1 Single LineSingle lines of dialogue are among the easiest to write and remember. The punctuation for this dialogue is simple:The quotations go on the outside of both the words and end 2 Single line with t agIn this case, â€Å"tag† means dialogue tag.A dialogue tag is anything that indicates who said what and in what way.Here are some common examples of dialogue tags:He saidShe whisperedThey bellowedHe holleredThey snipedShe huffedHe cooedThey respondedIn the example below, you can see that the dialogue tag goes on the outside of the quotations, while the comma goes on the inside.This is the case with any dialogue tags that are used. You can also see how this dialogue formatting works with different types of sentences and different dialogue tags.Note that the tag, when following a comma within the quotation marks, is lowercase,as its a part of the overall sentence.Writing Dialogue Example 3 QuestionsBecause a question mark seems like the end of a sentence, it’s easy for most writers to get the format for questions when writing dialogue wrong.But it’s actually pretty easy. Essentially, a question mark will be treated like a comma or period. What changes the forma tting most is what follows the dialogue.Here are some examples of writing questions in dialogue:Will you ever stop being a child? she asked.What about that man over there? he whispered, pointing in a old gentlemans direction. Doesnt he look odd too?Whats the big deal, anyway? she huffed.Below is a clear breakdown of formatting questions in dialogue.In this example above, you can see that if there is a dialogue tag, the question mark will act as a comma and you will then lowercase the first word in the dialogue tag (unless it’s a person’s name).However, if there is simply an action after the question, the question mark acts as a period and you will then capitalize the first word in the next sentence.Writing Dialogue Example 4 Tag, then single lineWhen it comes to formatting dialogue tags before your character speaks, it’s essentially the same as when they come after, except backward.As you can see in the example above, the dialogue tag is in front, followed by a comma outside of the quotations. Then the quotations appear when the sentence starts with that sentence’s punctuation inside the quotations at the end.Here are a few more examples of this type of dialogue, as its very common:They hung their head and mumbled, Its fine if you dont want me to come.She huffed, Well thats just great, isnt it?He drew in a long breath and spoke, Im just not sure what to do anymore.Writing Dialogue Example 5 Body language within lineThere are a couple different types of body language dialogue formats to learn.Dialogue Variation 1: This is when the actions your character is taking comes between lines of dialogue but after a sentence is complete. In real life, this would indicate someone pausing to complete the action.Heres what this dialogue example looks like:Are you sure we should go this weekend? She shoved the curtain aside, sneering at the greying clouds. It could be a mess out there.Whats the big deal, anyway? He yanked the sheet from the enve lope. Its not like you cared for her all that much.Lets go to the moon! She twirled, her pale pink dress lifting around her. We could make it, I know we could.Below is a detailed explanation of how you would format this type of dialogue:Variation 2: With this dialogue formatting, it’s different because this is when a character does something while they are speaking, instead of pausing like in variation 1. The action happens in the middle of a sentence and has to be formatted as such.Here are some dialogue examples of this formatting:Its really just 6 Single line getting cut offSomething that happens in real life (sometimes an irritatingly large amount) is getting cut off or interrupted when you’re speaking.This typically happens when someone either doesn’t care what you’re talking about or when two people are in an argument and end up speaking over one another.You can see in this example that you place an Em Dash ( 7 Dialogue tag in the middle of a line Another common type of dialogue. This is essentially a mix of a single line with a dialogue tag.Mostly, you will use this type in order to indicate who is talking if there are more than two and in order to keep the focus on the dialogue itself and not the character’s actions.Writing Dialogue Example 8 Paragraphs of dialogueThere are certain situations that call for a single character to speak for a long time. However, grammatically, not all of what they say will belong in the same paragraph.Here’s how you would write multiple paragraphs of dialogue:For writing dialogue paragraphs, you want to leave the quotations off the end of the paragraph and begin the next paragraph with them in order to indicate that the same person is just telling a long story.[NOTE: These dialogue rules apply for American English. Other parts of the world may use different dialogue formatting, including single quotations and more.]How to Write Dialogue That’s Realistic and EffectiveGreat dialogue is hard to get right. For something we do and hear every day, knowing what to make your characters say in order to move the plot forward and increase intrigue isn’t easy.But that’s why we’ve broken it down in easy steps for writing dialogue for you.Here are some of the best tips for writing dialogue that feels real but is also effective for moving your story forward.NOTE: Was that enough to push you to get started right now? Learn more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Fiction Self 1: Dialogue tags in the front â€Æ'â€Æ'He spoke. â€Å"You’re one of the oddest people I know.† â€Æ'â€Æ'She replied, â€Å"Is that necessarily a bad thing?†Ã¢â‚¬Æ'â€Æ' He smiled. â€Å"I didn’t say it was a bad thing at all.† â€Æ'â€Æ'She laughed. â€Å"Good.†Bad Dialogue Example 2: Action within dialogueâ€Æ'â€Æ' â€Å"I’m just not sure† 3: Tags in the middleâ€Æ' â€Æ'â€Å"I really wish you would just talk to me,† Ada said. â€Å"This silent treatment isn’t helping anyone.†Ã¢â‚¬Æ'â€Æ'â€Å"It’s helping me,† he said. â€Å"Or does that not matter to you?†Ã¢â‚¬Æ'â€Æ'â€Å"Of course it matters to me,† she replied. â€Å"It’s just not solving the problem.†Ã¢â‚¬Æ'â€Æ'â€Å"I don’t think anything can solve this problem,† he murmured. â€Å"It’s permanent.† How to fix this: whenever you’re writing dialogue, switch the type of formatting you use in order to make it look and sound better. The more enjoyable it is to read, the more readers will become invested.One exception is when you have two characters going back and forth very quickly. In this case, a few lines of dialogue only, with no tags or anything, is acceptable.Fixing Dialogue Example: Variation is Keyâ€Æ'â€Æ'â€Å"I’m just not sure†- she grabbed a handful of see ds- â€Å"that you’re taking this seriously.†Ã¢â‚¬Æ'â€Æ' He weaved between the overgrown plants, pushing them aside.â€Å"Why would you think that?†Ã¢â‚¬Æ'â€Æ' â€Å"Becauseyou just ignore the important stuff unless it’s important to you only.†Ã¢â‚¬Æ'â€Æ'â€Å"That’s ridiculous.†Ã¢â‚¬Æ'â€Æ' â€Å"No.† She plunged her finger into the pot with soil, dropping in a few seeds. â€Å"It’s true.†What’s Next?We have something for you- for FREE.â€Å"More than what you’ve already given me in this blog post?† you ask.YES! Continuing to learn is what makes the difference between okay writers and real, great authors-to-be.After all, Ernest Hemingways says it best: â€Å"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.†But you can at least, become better with this free training.